Vicky Dreiling at Ratherbarefoot! ~ EllieGoulding

We are so happy to have the chance at an interview with the awesome author Vicky Dreiling. She is the author of historical romance novels such as 'How to marry a Duke' and 'How to seduce a scoundrel'.
Cecilia is a big fan and was so excited when Vicky agreed to an interview. You can see this as a little sneak peak since Vicky will join us again in Aptil =) Enjoy!

1. Do you see writing as a career or a hobby?
Writing started out as a hobby many years ago. I wrote a book back in the late nineties that did incredibly well in contests and garnered numerous requests from agents and editors. Alas, the latter part of the book wasn’t strong enough, so that first book was fated for the rejection pile. I went back to university and started a career in marketing. Interestingly, I got my first big job with a Fortunate 500 company, and the thing that differentiated me from twenty other candidates was my ability to write! I spent about five years learning my new career in marketing and traveling 70% of the time! It was very exciting to go to fabulous cities like New York, Paris, Hamburg, and London. I was trying to write the romance novel that eventually became my first sale, but all the travel made it very difficult, so I negotiated with my manager to stop traveling. I sold my novel HOW TO MARRY A DUKE in 2009. It was published in early January 2011, when I started writing fulltime. My writing is very much a career and takes a great deal of stamina as I’m required to turn in manuscripts on time. More than once, I’ve stayed up writing most of the night to finish a book!

2. If you are writing full time, what did you do before that? And if not what do you do when not writing ? You might find this funny. I had a very unusual career back in the nineties. I was an aerobics (fitness) instructor for ten years. It was a great deal of fun, but after a decade, I was burned out and hung up my Nikes.

3. Best movie you have ever seen and why?
My favorite movie is Pretty Woman. I think it’s the best romantic comedy ever made. I also love the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, and Bridget Jones Diary.

4. Worst movie ever and why?
Worst movie ever? Hmmm…Bridesmaids. It was disgusting.

5. Coffee or tea?
Tea definitely. I used to travel to London frequently, so I got hooked on tea there. Also, I really don’t care for coffee unless it’s a Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino, but I can’t have it because I’ve grown allergic to dairy products.

6. Your favorite place to read?
I like to read in bed on my Kindle Fire. It’s backlit, so no lamp is needed.

7. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? Oh, this is sooo hard! I’d definitely go back to London and Paris. I love both cities. There is so much to see and do! Actually, I’d love to travel all over Europe – that would be so much fun.`

8. What is the most demeaning thing anyone has said about any of your books?
Oh, goodness! I can’t say that it was demeaning, because I really think there was something wrong with the person who wrote the review. That person cursed me in every single sentence, but never mentioned anything specific about my book. It was very weird. I was taken aback when Goodreads refused to take it down because they didn’t want to censure the reviewer.

9. How do you think you handle critique in general?
First of all, critiques are very different from reviews. A critique is an evaluation I would get from another writer. Other writers understand craft on a higher level and are able to pinpoint issues in addition to making suggestions for improvement. Reviews are primarily for readers. I understand that not everyone will enjoy my books. That’s just personal taste. However, other writers have noticed that I have a good attitude about reviews. This resulted from all the focus groups I attended when I worked and traveled for a Fortune 500 company. All that marketing experience really helps me as an author.

10. Three things you could not live without?
Coke Zero, my Kindle Fire, and my laptop. (I’m cheating, but I also must have my iPOD and my Samsung Galaxy phone LOL!)

11. How did you end up writing in the Historical romance genre?
I ended up writing historical romances because the first romance I ever read (by accident – I’m not joking!) was a historical romance by Judith McNaught called ALMOST HEAVEN. If you’ve ever read her books, you just might detect a bit of influence on my writing.

ABOUT VICKY DREILING

Triple Rita®-finalist Vick Dreiling is a confirmed historical romance junkie and Anglophile. Frequent business trips to the UK allowed her to indulge her passion for all things Regency England. Bath, Stonehenge, and Spencer House are among her favorite places. She is, however, truly sorry for accidentally setting off a security alarm in Windsor Castle. That unfortunate incident led her British colleagues to nickname her “Trouble”. A native Texan, she holds degrees in English literature and marketing.